Special birthday edition!

On Monday night, Matt and I drove around looking for a suitable place to go for my 27th birthday dinner. After a few tries, we settled on John Bentley's in Redwood City.

[Here, Matt took over.]

I had been to the John Bentley's in Woodside before, and since it was a special day, and the Sizzler was too far away, we decided to go here. John Bentley's is fancy, so fancy, in fact, that they made us wait at the bar for about 45 minutes before seating us, even though there were open tables. I believe that their official reason was that they were running behind in the kitchen, and didn't want to seat us until they were ready to take our order. But, the net effect of making us wait 40 minutes at the bar and then 20 minutes at the table, instead of an hour at the table, was the same, except that we got to chat with the bartender. We actually enjoyed ourselves, sitting at the bar and having a glass of champagne, but the whole experience was a bit strange.

The interior is romantic, modern, and quite classy, with the exception of the fact that 24 was playing on the bar TV.

There was one vegetarian option on the menu at John Bentley's, aside from the salads, which was butternut squash gnocchi. Fortunately for Stacey, this sounded fantastic, and it turned out to be pretty darn tasty. I tried a bit of it, and I couldn't really detect the butternut squash (Stacey: "It was subtle, you would notice it if you looked for it, but it didn't blow you away"), but it was definitely better than your average gnocchi.

For my entree, I chose the hanger steak with potatoes. I didn't really know what a hanger steak was, and having just looked it up now, I find that it is taken from the cow's diaphragm, which makes me a bit queasy for some reason. But, that aside, it was very tasty. The presentation was interesting, with a little pile of shaved steak on top of a cylinder of scalloped potatoes. I wouldn't really call it "appetizing", since it kind of resembled a pile of poop on a pedestal, but it was very was tender and well seasoned, and the potatoes were good, though a bit on the bland side. I enjoyed it a lot.

We skipped desert (we had birthday cupcakes at home from Sprinkles), so we had some coffee and tea, and then received the lavish bill. We had us a grand old time, pretending to be the upper crust of Atherton, and the food was excellent, but that kind of excess doesn't come for free. Still, it's a good birthday or special event option if you can cough up the cash, or your parents are taking you there, the food is great, the decor is swanky, and it's easy to get to, since it's right on El Camino, just like all the reastaurants we review!

#7: Akasaka!

On Saturday evening, I had a hankering for some Japanese food. We decided to check out Akasaka, a Japanese and sushi restaurant a few blocks from Matt's place.

When we sat down at our booth, the waitress promptly brought us warm hand towels to wash our hands, and a bowl of edamame. The menu at Akasaka is extensive and very colorful, offering 4 huge pages of sushi rolls and sashimi. Most of the basics are all there, except for avocado rolls, which are curiously missing from the vegetarian sushi section. I can't complain too much, though, because Akasaka's vegetarian sushi section is one of the most unique collections of veggie sushi I've come across in a long time. Combinations include things like the Vege World, which is kimchee/black mushroom/radish/inari/kampyo wrapped in sushi rice and soy bean paper. Another roll that looked good was the Green Roll, which has all the classics rolled into one enormous asparagus/avocado/wakame/cucumber roll.

Although the veggie sushi was tempting, I eventually settled on the "vegetarian special box", which came with tempura, cucumber sushi, steamed spinach in a soy dressing, an iceberg salad with peanut dressing, and tofu. The tempura was very well done and quite tasty, as was the steamed spinach. The tofu was a little bland, though, partially because it was very dense and didn't soak up that much of it accompanying soy sauce. Matt had the tuna rolls and the Stanford roll. While the tuna roll was fresh and delicious, according to Matt, the Stanford roll was a bit too saucy. But that is one of the risks that comes with ordering special rolls; the simple flavors of the sushi itself are often lost. We also splurged and ordered some seaweed salad, which as good although nothing tremendously above average.

We left the restaurant feeling satisfied, but not amazed. Even so, I may have to venture back to Akasaka at some point to check out the vegetarian sushi section more thoroughly.

#6: Hobee's Restaurant

Yesterday, Matt and I ventured out for our Sunday leisurely brunch (not to be confused with Saturday leisurely brunch).  We usually go to Stacks in Menlo Park, but this time, we felt like mixing it up a little.  So we hopped in the car and headed over to Hobee's in the Town and Country center.  As usual, the wait was about 20-25 minutes, and there were small children with big families waiting for tables outside.  After some waiting and additional information from the hostess, we decided to head for the Hobee's on El Camino in the hopes of being seated and served in a timely fashion.

Thankfully, when we got to the Hobee's on El Camino, we were able to walk right in and get a table.  Matt ordered the sweet potato hash browns, sauteed with turkey bacon, veggies, and a dash of maple syrup.  I forwent my usual high protein honey wheat pancakes, and instead ordered the cheesy scramble with a side of hash browns.  My brunch was delicious; the potatoes were perfectly cooked, and the eggs were light, fluffy, and covered in three kinds of melty cheese.  Matt's "hashbrowns" turned out to be more like cubed sweet potatoes sauteed with turkey bacon and some other stuff.  And the dash of maple syrup turned out to be more like a bath.  Matt noted that it was not as good as his selections usually are at Hobee's, but he gave them extra points for creativity and the effort to keep it interesting, at least.  Hobee's does try to inject a bit of novelty in their specials, and so I guess they can't all be amazing.

No review of Hobee's would be complete without a discussion of their signature coffee cake.  I always order a cube of it whenever I am at Hobbee's, and Matt and I share it.  They are extremely generous with the portions, and the pieces usually come out 4 inches high, piping hot, and dolloped with melted butter.  I give them points for presentation, and the coffee cake is consistently light and fluffy.  It's not too sweet, but just enough to be the perfect compliment to a savory breakfast.  My only complaint is that I would enjoy a higher blueberry-to-coffeecake ratio, since some slices have barren, blueberry-less stretches of coffee cake.  I've also hit dry spots in occasion, but I guess that's what the melted butter is for.

Hobee's is hard to really find serious fault with, in the end.  If you are looking for a hardy, American breakfast with an atmosphere to match, look no further than your local Hobbee's restaurant.

R.I.P. Compadres

Compadres, a once formidable presence in the Silicon Valley Mexican restaurant scene, closed abruptly in September of this year.  We here at 82 Eateries would like to take a moment to remember one of our favorite CA-82 establishments.

Compadres has been open for an astonishing 23 years, which is a testament to its high quality and service.  There were 5 Compadres restaurants in total: one in Palo Alto, one in Oakland, two in Hawaii, and one in Napa.  Now all but the Napa location are closed.  The Palo Alto location had a relatively unassuming front, but if you walked a few feet through a fern-lined corridor, the restaurant opened up into a spacious outdoor seating area.  The outside tables were protected by wooden eves, which provided shelter from the sun, and still let you enjoy the outdoors.  Toward the back, there was a big fireplace and sofa seating, which make you feel as though you were being welcomed into a friend's living room.  Inside the restaurant, colorful decorations filled the multiple dining rooms in a tasteful and artistic arrangement.  Service was always prompt and polite, and the waiters were usually eager to please and armed with good margarita suggestions. 

I used to go to Compadres with my friends after work; it was a place that had something for everyone.  It served the usual Mexican fare, but also included refreshing, new interpretations of old favorites.  On my first night ever dining at Compadres many years ago, I was introduced to one such dish: the avocado relleno. A sumptuous take on the classic chile relleno, the avocado relleno was an entire avocado in all its glory, stuffed with delicious grilled veggies, rice, and (optionally) meat.  Another favorite of mine was the vegetarian taco salad.  It was the perfect mix of well-seasoned grilled veggies (sliced thinly, the way they should be in a salad), black beans, avocado, and a crispy, but no-too oily taco shell.  The taco salads paired exquisitely with the margaritas, of which they had several versions.  Many times I have used Compadres as a much-needed and well-deserved break from the lab (and an excuse to drink as much sangria as I could). 

Matt and I had a pseudo-third date at Compadres; we sat outside under the eves on a warm Sunday evening this past summer.  I ordered Sangria, naturally, and I remember feeling very happy to be there.  

So here's to Compadres! You have been and certainly will continue to be missed by many of us.

#5: Celia's Mexican Restaurant

This past Saturday night we stopped by Celia's Mexican Restaurant before heading up to the city for some dancing at the Starlight Room (and a failed attempt at ice skating in Union Square). It was a cold evening in Palo Alto, and we were in the mood for something substantial, and most importantly, warm. Although we've both been to Celia's before, it was the first acceptable restaurant we hit after Naomi Sushi (too cold) and Gaylord (not in the mood).

Celia's is your basic Mexican restaurant, serving "classic" Americanized Mexican food: fajitas, burritos, enchiladas, etc. The chips came to our table a bit late, but piping hot and fresh from the kitchen. Matt ordered a combination plate of chicken and beef flautas, and I got the veggie fajitas.

Our server seemed to be having a bad night. After carding Matt for his beer, she brought him a variation on what he had actually ordered. There was also a derth of water service that night, and Matt (being the gentleman that he is), got up himself and poured me a glass of water from a pitcher by the kitchen.

The food itself was about what you would expect. My veggie fajita filling of mostly peppers and onions was served steaming hot, as usual, but it tasted a little like it had been cooked in A1 steak sauce. The accompanying plate of beans, rice, guacamole, and lettuce was actually more enjoyable. Matt's beef and beef flautas were decent, and he seemed satisfied with them despite having ordered chicken and beef.

All in all, the meal at Celia's certainly wasn't memorable, but it was good enough to warm us up and get us on our way to a much swankier evening in the city.

#4: Jeffery's Hamburgers

View Larger MapYou've had a long day at the lab. All you really want is to treat yourself, and abuse yourself at the same time. Where do you go? Jeffrey's is that place. Jeffery's is a 50's-diner style burger joint, a la Archie comics, but in the best possible way. We were both in the mood for something substantial, and I said, almost sheepishly, "How about Jeffrey's?" To which Stacey replied, "Oh my god, holy crap! I was JUST thinking about Jeffrey's on the way over here!" [Editors note: those may not have been her exact words, but she says "Oh my god, holy crap" often enough that it's probably close.]
In spite of the daunting looking line and crowds of children, we were able to find a table without much of a fuss, and somehow ensconced ourselves in a mercifully child-free area of the restaurant, flanked by old people. In "The Joy of Cooking," Irma Rombauer says that temperature is the key to frying: too hot, and things burn, too cold, and they soak up oil before crisping. The fries at Jeffery's are perfectly fried, not greasy at all, and very hefty.  I've gotten the garlic fries there before as well, but these always seem better in theory; in practice, they always wind up making me ill.

My burger, cooked medium rare, was also fantastic, bleeding out a thin layer of juice onto the bottom bun, making a layer of delightful red mush (it's better than it sounds.) Stacey ordered the veggie burger: its structural integrity held up admirably, it contained actual identifiable vegetables and grains, and it was tasty.
Another perk at Jeffery's is the condiment bar: fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and sauerkraut galore. Stacey, in fact, took about seventeen hundred slices of tomato, and wound up having a tomato sandwich topped with garden burger.

In keeping with the 1950's style Archie comics, we also split a milkshake with two straws. The milkshakes are thick, but not too thick, and the sweetness was an excellent co

mplement to the burgers. They also give you enough milkshake to kill a camel, so one milkshake is plenty for two people.
And, at end, the best part: since you paid at the register, you can just walk out. So far, Jefferey's has been our best 82 meal, and we highly reccomend it for simple, hearty fare.

#3: The Chatanoga Chew Chew

Today, a special treat for our loyal reader(s): 82 Eateries, Santa Clara edition!

Last Sunday, my roommate debuted with her belly dancing class at Santa Clara's Chatanoga Restaurant and Club. Since the restaurant was located along El Camino Real, we decided to include it on our ever-expanding roster of eateries.

Our first observation for the night was that Chatanoga is located deep within the heart of Santa Clara's suburban sprawl. The presence of a Weinerschnitzel fast food stand a few doors down was all the proof we needed. We got to the restaurant very early, only to learn that the performance would most likely be starting late. But we went ahead and ordered. I ordered something vegetarian covered in dill, Matt ordered the chicken and vegetable kabobs.

My vegetarian dish was a little more on the amorphous side than I would have liked, but I guess that is what you get when you order eggplant and rice. Matt's kabobs looked tasty, but he noticed that the vegetable medley was quite lacking. We surmised that they saved the choice veggies for the vegetarian kabobs, and used the lesser vegetables (mostly carrots and zucchini) for the meat eaters.

We finished our meal as the belly dancing show was starting. Jackie was toward the back, so we couldn't see her that well, but the whole class danced seductively for about 5 or 10 minutes. Then the show transitioned into solo performances by more advanced dancers. At this point, we had had our fill and called it a night.